Apple

Apple has admitted to retaining private personal data collected by services Siri and Dictation for a period of 18 months. The disclosure came after one civil liberties group complained that Apple is not doing enough to inform its customers of their ... privacy rights. In response, Apple has revealed the kind of customer information that is collected and stored. In a recent interview, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller explained how her company performs their data collection. Siri (available on iOS devices) and Dictation (available on both iOS and OS X devices) send speech-to-text messages wirelessly ... (view more)

Plans for a summer 2013 release of the Apple iPhone 5S have reportedly been delayed as the company looks to put the finishing touches on a few new features. Among those features providing a delay: fingerprint-sensing technology that is appearing on ... a smartphone for the very first time. Originally it was believed the iPhone 5S would ship in June. Now, experts are suggesting component problems could delay a launch to late summer or even the fall. (Source: forbes.com ) According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo, the problem stems from interference between the touch sensors that appear on ... (view more)

One analyst says that Apple is working on several brand new technologies. The most exciting: a 60-inch 'smart' television set that uses features found on the company's popular iPhone and iPad devices. According to Brian White of Topeka Capital ... Markets, Apple plans to start manufacturing its own TV sets. This isn't a new rumor; in fact, previous reports indicated that Steve Jobs was closely involved in such a project before his death in 2011. Based on conversations with a variety of electrical components manufacturers in Asia, White has put together a series of possible features that could ... (view more)

Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has apologized to the people of China. But the apology hasn't settled a dispute about whether the company broke any rules and why it came under such fierce criticism. The issue has been in the news since the ... government-run China Central Television station aired the 2013 edition of an annual consumer affairs investigation show. This year, the show's targets included Apple's warranty policies . The show claimed that Apple takes advantage of a loophole in consumer law when dealing with phones that are beyond repair and have to be replaced. According to the ... (view more)

Apple is reportedly getting ready to release the iPhone 5S, the company's next iPhone offering. And while little is known about the features that will be offered, a recently discovered Apple patent application might have shed some light on the ... topic. The patent, which was first filed back in September 2011 (but had only surfaced earlier this week) outlines an Apple proposal for up to two AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) screens for a new device. AMOLED screens are known to house faster pixel-switching capabilities, meaning that response times are even greater than standard OLED displays. Whole ... (view more)

The only thing worse than paying hundreds of dollars for a smartphone is dropping and breaking said expensive smartphone. Now, it appears Apple is working on a technology that would allow a phone to identify and properly prepare for a fall. A ... recently revealed patent filing by Apple (called "Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device") describes a number of different ways to protect an electronic device in the event of a fall. The goal: to lessen or eliminate the physical damage inflicted by such a traumatic event. Special Mechanism Used for Safe Landings According to AppleInsider, Apple ... (view more)

China has launched an attack on the way Apple treats consumers through a government-controlled television station. The criticism appears to have sparked a coordinated social media campaign designed to embarrass the tech giant. Apple was among the ... companies featured on this year's installment of the "Ides of March," an annual broadcast marking World Consumer Rights Day on China Central Television Station (CCTS). CCTS is watched by hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens. Each year it examines shady practices by major businesses operating in the country. Volkswagen, which is expected ... (view more)

Many of us spend hours playing free video games online, whether it's by downloading them through the Apple iTunes Store, Google Play Store, or some other site / service. But the ability to enhance that gaming experience with "premium" upgrades can ... make "free" games very expensive. The Kitchen family of Bristol, England, recently discovered just how pricy "free" games can be. Mom Sharon was recently stunned to receive an Apple iTunes Store bill for 1,700 pounds, or roughly $2,500. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) Premium Purchases Rack Up Fast Sharon racked her brain for hours trying to figure ... (view more)

Last week former Microsoft executive Joachim Kempin accused chief executive officer Steve Ballmer and chairman Bill Gates of sucking the cool out of Microsoft. That prompted some critics to wonder if Microsoft had ever been cool in the first place. ... However, it's much more shocking when someone accuses industry rival Apple of losing its cool. But that's exactly what Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak suggested in a recent interview. Apple's Cool: "We Kind of Are Losing That," Wozniak Says "We used to have these ads, I'm a Mac and I'm a PC, and the Mac was always the cool guy," Wozniak ... (view more)

Security analysts are warning that a new iOS 6.1 hack could allow someone to bypass the security of an iPhone 5 and covertly spy on a user's private messages and conversations. The majority of Apple iPhone owners currently have some kind of password ... lock screen protecting their device. However, a YouTube video (aptly named "How to Bypass iPhone 5 Passcode on iOS 6.1") provides step-by-step instructions for getting around this security wall. Once a device has been compromised, hackers have complete access to the emails, photos, etc. stored on the phone. When attempting to delve deeper into the ... (view more)